Theos-Talk Archives (April 1996 Message tl00066)

Hi, Alexis,

We agree on Beethoven ... and on Mozart. When it comes to Wagner, I know
you're right. One of my college courses was on Wagner, & I ended it with a
30pp paper on "Meistersinger", which I researched almost as carefully as
Wagner did. Did you know that he used some of the original Meister songs? I
enjoy Wagner, but the enjoyment is tarnished by the fact that he was the
Nazis' folk hero. I like Shostakovitch, but to me, he's not that
outstanding. I prefer Aron Copland.

Liesel



>At 11:41 PM 4/8/96 -0500, you wrote:
>>I just thought of a very important meaning of freedom, at least to me it is.
>>It's the freedom I have of being able to live in the US, where I can pretty
>>well say & do as I please, rather than being forced to live under an
>>oppressive ditatorship. Since I have this background, I'm very sensitive to
>>any abrogation of any freedoms, & I usually notice their slight abrogation
>>the minute it comes up, & I usually protest them.
>>I also just remembered a real good expression of freedom. It's the very
>>touching chorus the prisoners sing in "Fidelio" when they are allowed to
>>come up out of their dank dungeons, and be in the courtyard in the sun for a
>>few minutes.
>>Liesel
>>Member TI, TSA, TS in Canada, HR
>>.............................................................................
>>
>>Liesel: Old Ludwig was a great worshipper of Freedom, both personal freedom
>and group freedom. The chorus to which you refer is one of the high points
>of humanity's creative record! Ludwig may have been dreadfully grouchy
>andpersonally unkempt but his are some of humankinds greatest musical
>achievements. (Obviously I'm a fan of his) Mozart is sometimes considered to
>be the greatest composer that ever lived, and I suppose I must agree. But
>except in certain instances (The Magic Flute and The MasonicFuneral Music)
>Mozart speaks to the intelligence, he scintillates. But Beethoven and sadly
>Richard Wagner speak to the soul. I really despise Wagner as a man, but his
>music is uttterly sublime. I admire Dmitri Shostakovitch as a person and his
>music, to me, is almost equally sublime. And that's not being a russian
>chauvinist.
>
>alexis
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